Doosan’s Super Rookie, which was praised for ‘Korea, the U.S., and Japan’, is not worried, the first team will return soon
“I got vaccinated”
In the second round of the first round of last year’s rookie draft, the Doosan Bears named Kim Taek-yeon without much hesitation. Kim’s value, which caught the attention of scouts by throwing fast balls exceeding 150 kilometers per hour since his days at Incheon High School, has improved remarkably at the 2023 WBSC World Youth Baseball Championship. At that time, Kim was at the center of controversy over his difficulties, and he took the mound whenever his team needed him, leaving an overwhelming record of 0.88 ERA with two wins, one save, and two wins. In response, Doosan gave Kim a down payment of 350 million won, the same as Hwang Joon-seo (Hanwha Eagles), the No. 1 player overall.
It is said that he has a high professional wall, but Kim Taek-yeon’s talent was definitely different. Starting with the blue-and-white match at the Sydney Spring Camp in Australia, Kim Taek-yeon pitched hard at the Miyazaki practice matches in Japan, capturing the eyes of not only the head coach but also the coaching staff. In particular, he received special praise from Kiyoshi Toyoda, the first-team pitching coach, as a result of pitching a fastball with a maximum speed of 151 kilometers in the practice match against the Seibu Lions on January 27. “I like the strength that comes in near the home plate,” Toyoda said in a thumbs-up.
That was just the beginning. At a special match with the Softbank Hawks held at PayPal Dome in Fukuoka, Japan on April 4, Kim showed off his perfect pitching performance with 15 pitches and no runs during the first ⅓ innings by banking on his fastball of 152 km per hour, his personal best. At the time, Kim returned hotaka Yamakawa of the Pacific League’s “Homer King in the 3rd inning” as a penalty, but after the match, Yamakawa said he was a “very good pitcher,” adding, “You graduated now? Really?” with wide eyes wide open.
The comments were followed by rave reviews. Yang Eui-ji, the “15.2 billion catcher,” said, “Many people say that (Kim) Taek-yeon should wrap up the campaign even though he has never worked with Kim throughout the campaign. As a rookie, the finishing touches need to be done by someone who is good. He has ample competitiveness. If he grows up well, he will be able to make it to the big stage. Taek-yeon does not look like a rookie. (Oh) Seung-hwan throws his ball like an older brother. He just boldly enters the game, and I think he is the best pitcher I have seen recently.”
In particular, Kim Taek-yeon showed off his talent with a two-hold ERA of “zero” in three exhibition games, and had the opportunity to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who visited Korea for the Seoul Series in the “Team Korea” national team even before the regular season game in Doosan’s uniform. At that time, Kim Taek-yeon struck out against Teoscar Hernandez by throwing a fastball of 93.7 miles (about 150.8 kilometers) for the fifth pitch in 1B-2S, and also made an impressive pitch to James Outman, who continued to throw a fastball of 92.5 miles (about 148.9 kilometers) for the sixth pitch.
After the game, Boltzu said, “(Kim Taek-yeon’s) ball was still alive, as the outman came and told me. He threw the best ball he had. The 91-mile (about 146.5 kilometers) ball felt like 95-96 miles (about 152.9-154.5 kilometers). I was impressed by Kim Taek-yeon,” he said in a 토토사이트 thumbs-up. “Korean pitchers are extraordinarily talented. I could see that there are many good pitchers with good ball control, both right and left hands.”
Was the practice-demonstration game different from the regular season? Since the start of the regular season, we have not seen any Korean-U.S.-Japan coaches, coaches, and players all complimenting each other. From his first appearance on the mound in a tight schedule, Kim had two hits, three walks and two runs (two earned) during one inning, leaving a disappointing pitch. He seemed to have a harder time controlling his ball than usual. He also showed a bad performance against the KT Wiz on April 27, as he allowed two walks and one run (non-earning) per inning.
In the end, Kim expressed his anxiety by recording one walk while playing ⅓ innings in a showdown with the KIA Tigers on April 29, before being removed from the first division the following day. He hoped that a young prospect would regain peace of mind in the second division. In his first appearance (on Saturday), Kim recorded one walk and two strikeouts in an inning against the Goyang Heroes, and two hits, two walks and two strikeouts (two earned runs) in an inning on Saturday. His pitching is not perfect, but he will be called to the first division soon as the first division bullpen is in trouble.
“Kim Taek-yeon is not in good location for now,” Lee said ahead of the game against Lotte Giants on Thursday. “I think he threw about 30 pitches and two four outs during the first inning. I don’t think he can get a zero. As long as he can throw strikes comfortably, he is a very good pitcher. That is why I am not talking about anything else. He is a pitcher who is not that easy to attack once he throws a strike,” Lee said, while smiling.
Rather than going through ups and downs in the middle of the season, coach Lee explained that it was fortunate that he had suffered greatly at the beginning of the season, rather than going through ups and downs in the middle of the season. “In fact, I try to think that what happened at the beginning of the season is more positive for both the team and Kim Taek-yeon. The Seoul Series was strictly huge. However, he seemed to be embarrassed when he got a double hit by Son Ah-seop in the first game of the season. In the exhibition game, the ball that swung and missed was hit. I got vaccinated, but I have too many days to play baseball,” he joked, looking forward to the rookie’s return.
Based on the trend, Kim Taek-yeon will likely join the primary team next week. Several other players will return to the primary team soon. Kim Myung-shin and Hong Geon-hee are also expected to be called at around the same time as Kim Taek-yeon. “Today (May 5) Myung-shin also threw for the secondary team. The fastest runners will be (Kim) Myung-shin and (Kim) Taek-yeon next week. And (Hong) Gun-hee is also in the final stages. “I will pitch a lot tomorrow (June 6) and if there is no damage, I think I can call him next week,” he added.